Editing Condor Legion (section)

===Guernica===
[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H25224, Guernica, Ruinen.jpg|thumb|alt=Guernica in ruins, with only a few partially-demolished buildings standing|Ruins of Guernica (1937)]]
In [[Operation Rügen]], waves of Ju 52 and He 111 planes bombed and strafed targets in [[Guernica]]. The number of casualties is controversial, with perhaps 200 or 300 people killed;<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6583639.stm The legacy of Guernica]</ref> the [[Basques]] reported 1,654 dead and 889 wounded.{{sfn|Westwell|2004|p=31}}{{sfn|Thomas|1961|p=419}} Several explanations were given by the Nationalists, who blamed the attack on the Republicans,{{sfn|Thomas|1961|p=420}} said that the attack was part of a prolonged offensive, or the [[Rentería]] bridge outside Guernica was the true target. The nature of the operation, however (including its formation and armaments), undermines the credibility of these explanations. Guernica was a clear target of the Condor Legion, rather than the Nationalists.{{sfn|Westwell|2004|pp=32–33}}{{sfn|Thomas|1961|pp=420–421}} The 11 July offensive against [[Bilbao]] was supported by Condor Legion ground units and extensive air operations, proving the legion's worth to the Nationalist cause.{{sfn|Westwell|2004|p=33}}

The first English-language media reports of the destruction of Guernica appeared two days after the attack. [[George Steer]], a reporter for ''[[The Times]]'' who was covering the Spanish Civil War from inside the country, wrote the first full account. Steer's reporting set the tone for much of the subsequent [[reportage]], noting clear German complicity in the action.<ref group=nb>George Steer was a special correspondent for ''The Times'', where his article first appeared on April 28. It was reprinted in ''[[The New York Times]]'' that day. Part of his report read, "Guernica was not a military objective&nbsp;... The object of the bombardment was seemingly the demoralisation of the civil population and the destruction of the cradle of the Basque race".</ref> Three small bomb cases stamped with the [[Reichsadler|German imperial eagle]] made it clear that the German position of neutrality in the war and the signing of a non-intervention pact were meaningless, and German forces were actively participating in combat. Steer's report was syndicated worldwide, generating widespread shock, outrage and fear.